Paul Kelly Stats & Scouting Report

AB	614
AVG	.28
OBP	.354
SLG	.376
HR	6

Full name Paul Andrew Kelly
Born 10/19/1986 in Carrollton, TX
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 185 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Flower Mound
Drafted in the 2nd round (54th overall) by the Minnesota Twins in 2005 (signed for $650,000).

View Draft Report

Kelly reminds a lot of area scouts of Jesse Crain, who starred as a two-way player at Houston before going to the Twins in the second round of the 2002 draft and rocketing to the majors. Kelly isn't quite as physical as Crain yet, but he has a similar build and the potential to be drafted either as a shortstop or a pitcher. While teams preferred Crain on the mound, Kelly has support in both roles. He's close to a five-tool player at shortstop. He handles the bat well and should hit for average with gap power. He shows good quickness on the bases and in the field. Defensively, he has the actions, range and arm strength to stay at shortstop. If he doesn't cut it as a position player, he could fall back on being a reliever because his stuff is reminiscent of Crain's. After pitching at 88-91 mph in the past, Kelly has jumped to 94-95 this spring while showing a slider that can be a plus pitch at times. Kelly entered the year with a relatively low profile, in part because a blood clot in his shoulder sidelined him last summer. Some teams may not clear him medically, but there's enough interest for him to go in the second round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Flower Mound (Texas) High righty Craig Italiano showed more velocity than any pitcher in the 2005 draft, and Kelly, his teammate, also threw 94-95 mph while doubling as a shortstop. His bat and defensive potential prompted the Twins to draft Kelly as a hitter in the second round-- one pick after the Athletics chose Italiano-even though they selected prep shortstop Trevor Plouffe in the first round the year before. Kelly has passed Plouffe on the organization's shortstop depth chart. He knows the strike zone and has power, leading some scouts to project him to hit 15 homers annually. He wows scouts with the organization's best infield arm and positions himself so well that he rarely has to rely on his arm strength to make plays. He's a quiet, confident leader. A torn meniscus in his left knee ended Kelly's season in late July, and he hadn't recovered sufficiently to make it through a full instructional league. A fringe-average runner before he got hurt, he'll have to prove his range is sufficient for shortstop once he returns. Offensively, his swing tends to be choppy and causes him to hit a lot of balls in the air, and some scouts doubt he's strong enough to translate those fly balls into home runs. The Twins believe in Kelly's bat, and some club officials think they may have a young Alan Trammell on their hands. A healthy Kelly could push Plouffe to third base in high Class A in 2007.
Kelly reminded area scouts of Jesse Crain, a two-way star at the University of Houston and a 2002 Twins second-rounder. Kelly had mound success in high school, showing a 94-95 mph fastball and a hard slider. But Minnesota took him in the second round as a shortstop because of his varied tools. He overcame a blood clot in his shoulder before his senior season and signed for $650,000. Kelly loves to play, shows passion for the game and has a great work ethic. He has the best infield arm in the system, a possible 70 on the 20-80 scouting scale. With the glove, he's a shade behind 2004 first-rounder Trevor Plouffe at this point but could pass him down the line. Kelly is smooth and surehanded in the field and shows plus range. At the plate, he's leaning to stay inside the ball and use his pull-side power better. For now, he has some gap power as well as some quickness on the bases. He got a taste of low Class A at the end of the summer and figures to start there in 2006.

Minor League Top Prospects

Kelly succeeded 2004 first-round pick Trevor Plouffe as Beloit's shortstop, and MWL observers liked Kelly more. A 2005 second-rounder, Kelly has better physical tools and is a superior hitter. He kept getting better as the year wore on until a torn meniscus in his left knee ended his season in late July. Kelly is more advanced than most teenage hitters. He has a solid approach, recognizes breaking balls, uses the whole field and has a plan with two strikes. He didn't show much power this summer but will have some pop once he adds some strength and experience. He'll hit enough to be a regular, though at what position is uncertain. Kelly has fringe-average speed, which cuts down on his range, but his positioning and cannon arm--he was clocked at 94-95 mph as a high school pitcher--allow him to make plays. "I always judge a shortstop by if he has to use his arm or not," Beloit manager Jeff Smith said. "His glove is so good and he's always in position, so he never has to use it. And he has one of the best arms in the league, too."
Kelly pitched extensively in high school, flashing a 94 mph fastball and drawing comparisons to Jesse Crain. Though Crain has done an excellent job as a set-up man for the Twins, they saw more upside in Kelly as an everyday player. A sound defensive shortstop with excellent hands and arm strength, he has the same wiry build and approach to the game as Nomar Garciaparra. After a slow start with the bat, Kelly got going once he learned to stay inside the ball better with a short, compact swing that generated gap power. He formed a promising double-play combination with fellow Twins second-rounder Drew Thompson.